


Easy As One, Two, Three

by Sir_Bedevere



Series: Modern AU [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Kindergarten & Pre-school, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-03 22:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2889467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sir_Bedevere/pseuds/Sir_Bedevere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ned Dayne’s home life was complicated. As far as Thoros knew, the boy’s father had done a runner before Ned was even born. Then, when the poor kid was two years old, his mother and aunt – his only family – died in a car crash on the way home from the movies. Ned was left with his aunt’s boyfriend, Beric Dondarrion, line manager at Baratheon Motors Inc and instant parent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Easy As One, Two, Three

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vana/gifts).



> For Vana, who requested this a thousand years ago. Merry Late Christmas, I guess :D

The kids sure knew how to pick a day to kick off, and Arya Stark chose the day after Thoros had been out drinking with Maqorro and Melisandre. Sure, maybe he shouldn’t have been drinking on a school night, but also she shouldn’t have been picking fights with her classmates at eight thirty in the morning. She’s pinned Ned Dayne down by his throat and was trying to strangle him by the time Thoros got out onto the playground. Not that Ned was blameless either, the little shit, and for a moment Thoros savoured the idea of them killing each other and leaving him in peace. Then he pulled them apart, because that is what a good teacher did. 

He hadn’t forgotten that much.

***

Arya Stark’s mother was scary, with eyes that looked right through you if you weren’t on your guard. People in the town talked about Ned Stark, about how if you got on his bad side then you were never off it, but Thoros thought that Mrs Stark was way worse. She smiled at you before she skinned you alive. Arya cried when her parents came in and Thoros couldn’t say he blamed her. But then Ned Stark explained that little Ned’s uncle, Beric, lost his eye at Baratheon Motors Inc, and maybe Arya had overheard him telling Catelyn that if Beric sued, Ned would probably lose his job, and maybe that’s why Arya had taken to beating Ned up at every possible occasion. Mrs Stark didn’t say a word, just looked at her husband like she would have a thing to say when they got home. Thoros didn’t envy him at all.

***

Ned Dayne’s home life was complicated. Like really, really complicated. As far as Thoros knew, the boy’s father had done a runner before Ned was even born. Then, when the poor kid was two years old, his mother and aunt – his only family – died in a car crash on the way home from the movies. Ned was left with his aunt’s boyfriend, Beric Dondarrion, line manager at Baratheon Motors Inc and instant parent. Thoros had never met Mr Dondarrion before but you had to admire a man who had agreed to babysit one night and then taken on the kid for what looked like the rest of his life. You had to admire him. 

***

Beric Dondarrion was beautiful. Beautiful. 

He arrived for the parent-teacher conference, his pants dotted with motor oil, his hands dusty and an eye patch covering the scene of the accident that had caused all this trouble to start with. The other eye was bright blue, framed by reddish golden lashes that matched his reddish golden hair. He was taller than Thoros too, thinner, younger and so, so beautiful.

“I’ll tell him to stop picking fights,” Beric said, and his voice was as warm as his handshake had been and Thoros was in trouble.

So much trouble.

***  
Beric was in the bar.

_Beric was in the bar._

He was in the bar that Thoros had chosen, the bar that he had chosen in order to go out and forget about Beric for an evening. Six weeks it had been, since that conference, and he had not forgotten. He’d read the note that Beric had sent one day with Ned, the one thanking Thoros for the support that he was giving Ned in his reading, a thousand times. Even the man’s handwriting was attractive, and now he was here, in the bar, and Melisandre was pushing him over before he could run away.

She was an enabler, that one.

***

“Ned’s staying with his friend tonight,” Beric said, and his face was flushed as he looked down at his beer, “I don’t get out much now.”

“No one does, with a kid Ned’s age.”

“I guess not.”

“You’re brave, taking it on.”

“It’s not brave. It was the right thing.”

“It’s brave,” Thoros said, and he reached out to take Beric’s hand, “The bravest thing you could have done.”

Beric went even redder, right to the tips of his ears. 

“Can I get you another beer?” Thoros said, his thumb stroking Beric’s gently, the bravest thing _he_ had ever done. 

Beric shook his head, eye fixed on their hands.

“I want to go home.”

Thoros tried to pull away, burned, “Of course. I’m sor-”

“Come with me.”

***

Beric’s apartment was small; two bedrooms, a lounge, a kitchen. A refrigerator with Ned’s drawings, a rack of shoes by the door with little sneakers and big work boots, a stuffed animal on the couch and a ‘Cars’ DVD by the player.

“It’s cosy,” Thoros said, a moment before Beric wrapped his arms around him, buried his nose in the collar of his shirt.

“Beric-”

“Please don’t. Just stay.”

His bedroom was cosy too, blue sheets and stripy comforter. Beric didn’t pull the comforter back before he pushed Thoros onto the bed, throwing himself down beside him. His lips were hot on Thoros’ ear, his hands were hot under Thoros’ shirt and Thoros thought he would die right there, with Beric Dondarrion touching him.

***

“You make him so happy.”

Maege Mormont, Parent-Helper of the Year and all round heroine, was looking at him over the pile of leaf prints that seventeen little people had made after their trip to the woods. It had been an enthusiastic kind of day, not least because Shireen Baratheon and Stannis Seaworth had taken themselves off to the edge of the lake to ‘collect the bestest leaves, Mister Myr, the bestest’ and Shireen couldn’t swim, a fact her father had made very clear when he dropped her off that morning. Once Thoros’ heart had slowed, it had all been great.

“Who do I make happy?”

“Ned’s uncle. Beric.”

“How-”

“Spies in the camp,” she grinned, nodding to her Lyra, Ned’s best friend, who sat in the book corner and skimmed through ‘Aliens Love Underpants.’

Thoros grinned uncertainly, his heart pounding worse than thinking he’d drowned Stannis Baratheon’s kid.

“Busted.”

“It’s alright,” Maege shrugged, “We’re pleased for you, both of you. I haven’t seen Beric smile like he smiles now.”

***

“Can we watch a movie, Thoros?”

Ned’s eyes were pleading as he held his ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ DVD clutched to his chest. It was bedtime really, but the boy was in his pyjamas already and it was a Saturday night after all. 

“Sure. Get it going and I’ll make popcorn.”

Beric was in the kitchen, working at his computer, and smirking as Thoros put the pan on to heat.

“He’s got you wrapped around his little finger.”

“It’s the puppy dog eyes. I think he must have learned it from you.”

An hour and a half later, Ned was curled up on his lap, head tucked under Thoros’ chin. He was sleeping and Thoros dared not move in case he woke him.

“I’m glad this is normal for him,” Beric said from the door, leaning on the post, “It could have been harder.”

“He’s a good boy,” Thoros whispered, “I think he must have learned it from you.”

***

The day of the kindergarten graduation, when all his babies wore their little robes and collected their scroll, ready to move next door to the Grade 1 classroom and Melisandre’s…eccentric education. Thoros stood behind the stage, giving each kid a gentle push when their name was called. They got their scroll from the principle and lined up on the stage, waving to their parents and getting in each other’s way.

Beric was in the front row and when Thoros peered around the column, Beric was looking right at him. He winked, as best he could, and Thoros winked back. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, the class of 2014!”

The auditorium erupted into applause and then the kids split, seeking out their parents to show off their certificates. Thoros did the rounds, met the parents, shook the hands, hugged the kids. He was going to miss them, even Arya. 

Then finally, he turned to Beric. He had Ned in his arms and he was watching Thoros like he would never let him out of his sight again.

“Can we go get pizza?” Ned said, as soon as Thoros was close enough, “You said we could go for pizza.”

“Sure thing,” Beric nodded, kissing Ned’s forehead. Then, he turned and kissed Thoros too, gently, chastely. None of the lingering parents batted an eyelid, not even Stannis Baratheon. Maege Mormont had been busy, that much Thoros was sure of.

“Pizza, Thoros!” Ned sang, “Time for pizza.”

He leaped down and took their hands, dragging them both towards the door. 

Beric caught Thoros’ eye as they headed out.

“I love you,” he murmured, casually, the first time he had ever said it, and it was all Thoros could do to stay on his feet.

“I love you too.”

“And I love you both,” Ned exclaimed, with a sigh that sounded put upon, “Now come on. I want beef and mushroom!”

**Author's Note:**

> Title by The Jackson 5 ;)


End file.
